STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A delegation of Jammu and Kashmir Private Schools Association (JKPSA) led by its Chairman Prof J.L Kotwal on Saturday called on Simrandeep Singh DC Jammu and submitted a memorandum projecting association’s issues and grievances.
In the meeting, delegation comprising of educationists, sponsors, and chairpersons of unaided private schools resented over the ambiguous education policy of the State government. The aggrieved education fraternity disapproved the irrational government orders issued time and again to harass the unaided private schools.
Demanding autonomy in the functioning of private schools, Prof Kotwal alleged that the recent orders of the government lead to contempt of court’s stay order on SRO 123 and fee fixation committee.
Prof Kotwal, Kamal Gupta President JKPSA and Rameshwar Singh Manhas asked the top officials to address the justified demands of the JKPSA and cautioned to find midway to avoid scuffle. The executive members objected on the disrespectful language used by the government officials for private unaided schools in the government orders. Moreover, JKPSA stressed on the defunct system of education prevalent in government schools and urged the government to concentrate on streamlining the same rather than harassing the private schools who are tirelessly working for the betterment of the society. JKPSA impressed upon the fact that nominal fee hike is a genuine demand of the schools to meet inflation, infrastructural development requirements and most importantly to provide salary increments to the staff members who work with full dedication for the betterment of children. Private schools provide employment to these educated youth who are sufferers of unemployment problem and menace of corruption in government departments and therefore, share the dual burden of the government of providing education as well as generating employment.
The demands projected in memorandum include fixation of upper limit of fee, revoking of commercial laws imposed on private schools, exclusion of labour laws, easier and cheaper access to subsidy, credit and capital to expand the infrastructure, rules at par with government schools, slackening of recognition and affiliation process, bringing unrecognized CBSE schools under the ambit comparable with State Board schools, etc.
Similar memorandums were also presented to DCs of other districts of Jammu. In Udhampur, the memorandum was submitted by Ajay Gupta, General Secretary along with R.K Mattoo District President. In Kathua, it was submitted by G.S Katal in Samba it was submitted by Bhawani, in Poonch it was submitted by Raja Shahzad Ahmed, in Rajouri it was submitted by Zafer, in Reasi it was submitted by BL Kerni, in Ramban it was submitted by Pardeep Singh, in Doda it was submitted by OP Chaindail and in Kishtwar it was submitted by Ram Sewak.
